Chickasha voters followed the campaign signs and picked Posey at the polls on Tuesday.

Ryan Posey took more than 68 percent of the vote, defeating opponent and former city council member David Thomas by a margin of 460 to 209 for the position of city council member for Ward 3.

“I was confident that I would win, but I was pleasantly surprised that the margin was so significant,” Posey said.

Posey said the city council has two important issues to address right away.

“The first order of business is to replace Hank Ross as council member of Ward 4,” Posey said.

Ross, who ran unopposed, will replace Greg Elliott as Mayor of Chickasha in April.

Elliot decided not to seek re-election this year.

The second item will be finding a replacement for City Manager Larry Shelton, who announced his resignation at Monday’s city council meeting.

Because Shelton’s resignation won’t go into effect until June, 2011, the council will have ample time to search for a new city manager.

“Finding a new city manager - that’s important,” Posey said. “The city manager has a big impact on how a city functions.”

Although there are pros and cons for such a long transition between city managers, Posey hopes everything will work out well for everyone involved, he said.

“I am really excited,” he said, “now should be a fun time to be on the council. Hank Ross will do a good job, and we’ll have a new city manager’s voice on important issues. I think that will be exciting. As I said before, we have some exciting momentum with the arts festival in its second year and renewed interest in downtown. It is exciting from a community and a council perspective and I am looking forward to the job. I’m excited about doing it.”

Posey is the Vice President of Operations for Hermetic Switch, overseeing day-to-day operations of the business.

In another election, Roy Marcum defeated Justin Bailey, 56-20, to become a trustee in Alex.

Friend School bond issue passes

Voters also overwhelmingly approved a $415,000 bond issue for Friend School, with a vote of 90-18.

“We’re real pleased,” Friend School Supt. Alton Rawlins said. “I had a feeling it would pass, but I didn’t know it would pass so overwhelmingly. It was a good endorsement of what we’re doing out here.”

Funds from the bond issue will be used to replace the too-small library, add a new multi-purpose center and a new gymnasium entrance. Rawlins said.

About $100,000 will be used to turn the school’s unusable 3,600 square-foot auditorium into a new library, with another $30,000 going for the new gym entrance.